A number of missionary priests from France and Switzerland have spent decades in Taiwan turning God’s love into action. One has painstakingly compiled a dictionary of Amis, boosting the chances for the language’s survival. Another created a recycling operation that helps disadvantaged people develop their abilities and find new meaning in life. Still others have used savings cooperatives and education to improve the lives of impoverished families and disabled children.
Literary works respond both directly and indirectly to the needs of their times. Market indifference cannot quench the experimental spirit of creative artists, which instead blazes forth with new life and inspiration.
The Alphabet Lab is a case in point, using short stories based on modern phenomena literally ranging from A to Z. While the stories, written by multiple authors, are freestanding, they also respond to one another. The approach, similar to that used in Tales of Fantastic Island: Key to Taiwan History, both exemplifies the playfulness of literature and embodies a reaction to Taiwan’s predicament.
With both the government and NGOs working on the question of how immigrants to Taiwan should go about connecting their own backgrounds to Taiwanese culture, this month’s “Communities” article turns to Pingtung, the first county in Taiwan to actively promote community building in immigrant neighborhoods.
Old buildings can preserve and pass on memories of earlier times. The former home of Principal Hsin Chih-ping is filled with photos that recall the democratic atmosphere of the National Hsinchu Senior High School campus during his tenure there: the monthly student meetings, the school’s lack of a perimeter wall, the living room of Hsin’s house, where he loved to entertain former students…. The impact of Hsinchu Senior High’s liberal environment on Taiwan’s educational history has proved as durable as the school’s motto: “Honesty, Wisdom, Health, and Determination.”
Decorative painted tiles are another link to an earlier time. A popular decorative element in the years from 1915 to 1930, the tiles were a lovely finishing touch on the buildings of the day, and modern viewers find the distinctively Taiwanese look of painted tiles mounted on traditional sanheyuan especially captivating. Wonders abound throughout Taiwan, just waiting to be noticed and appreciated.
